Polymers including a poly(phenylene) backbone can provide improved properties, including enhanced chemical stability and/or strength. Thus, such robust polymers have been examined for use in fuel battery cells. However, further chemical functionalities are desired to increase performance, such as tunable conductivity, hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, and/or electrochemistry. If possible, synthetic methods to instill those chemical functionalities would maintain the durability provided by the backbone, while also providing tunability of its chemical properties. Additional starting materials, compositions, and methods to address such concerns are desired.